A farmer. whose sheep were allegedly stolen at the end of September. welcomes the new RCMP investigation unit dedicated for livestock theft and fraud.

The cattle cop initiative was announced on Oct. 8 and is funded by the provincial government.

Frank Russo, a hobby farmer based in Balmoral, Man. said eight of his sheep were stolen.

“All I have in my mind now is their beautiful little faces and their babies. I was the shepherd. I was their protector. I didn’t do a good enough job because they were stolen. It breaks my heart,” said Russo. “It made me want to give up and say ‘I don’t even want to do this anymore because look at the pain that comes with it.'”

RCMP confirmed Russo’s case to Global News on Friday.

Manitoba Beef Producers said there also needs to be stricter inspections at auctions to confirm if an animal is being sold by its owner.

“There is no real inspection that happens at a drop-off sales facility in Manitoba right now,” said Carson Callum, CEO of the Manitoba Beef Producers.

There were 57 reported cases of cattle theft and fraud from 2021 to 2025, according to RCMP.

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